WELCOME TO BOLLYWOOD: A DEVDAS FOR EVERY GENERATION

Il numero di maggio 2022 della rivista digitale australiana Senses of Cinema include uno speciale dedicato al cinema popolare hindi, Welcome to Bollywood, con la seguente motivazione: 'This dossier is an attempt to complicate and diversify the monolithic concept of ‘Bollywood’, to break it out of its critical ghetto in Western film criticism and challenge the Eurocentrism of film studies that fails to recognise Bollywood as an artistic phenomenon'. Gli articoli sono decisamente interessanti. In testi diversi, riporto degli estratti, ma vi consiglio di leggere le versioni integrali. 

A DEVDAS FOR EVERY GENERATION, Jaymini Mistry:

'Devdas is an epic semi-autobiographical Bengali novella written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The novel was written in 1901, though was not published until 1917 due to Chattopadhyay’s embarrassment over his story. He published several novels such as (...) Parineeta, (...) but Devdas remains his most popular novel. (...) Throughout the history of Indian cinema, directors have always gravitated to the story, starting with the 1928 silent version by Naresh Mitra. (...) P.C. Barua adapted three variants of the novel between 1935 and 1937 in Bengali, Hindi and Assemese and it has been adapted in many different languages. This article will focus on three Hindi adaptations of Devdas, analysing the directorial styles of Bimal Roy, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and Anurag Kashyap. Each section will deconstruct each director’s interpretation of Devdas and how each film adapts to modernity and places itself within Bollywood cinema. 

Devdas (1955) Bimal Roy

Bimal Roy was an Indian film director and producer. (...) Roy continued his career adapting the works of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, starting with Parineeta in 1953, Biraj Bahu in 1954, and Devdas in 1955. Bimal Roy must have had a particular bond with the story of Devdas as he had previously worked as a cameraman on P.C. Barua’s adaptation of Devdas (1935). Roy’s adaptation of the novel was not an instant box office hit, but the film was well received by critics. The screenplay was written by Nabendu Ghosh and dialogue was written by Rajinder Singh Bedi, taking the source material as gospel, and only adding a few changes to the original dialogue. The film stars the critically acclaimed Bollywood star, Dilip Kumar (Devdas), Suchitra Sen (Parvati/Paro) in her first Hindi film, and South Indian actress, Vyjayanthimala (Chandramukhi). (...) Devdas (1955) is considered one of the best-directed Bollywood films of the 20th century.

Adaptation

Set in rural Bengal in the early 1900s and filmed in black and white. (...) Roy is the only director to date who has chosen to explore Devdas’ and Paro’s childhood friendship in great length. (...) In the original text, Paro and Chandramukhi never meet, though, most film adaptations subtly play with the idea that they have to cross paths. Roy’s version suggests this prospect through a sensitive and powerful approach. Despite their loyalty towards Devdas, both are women who have been polarised by social class and caste and Roy draws attention to their inner strengths as women in common. Bimal Roy retains the essence of the novel’s characters while also adapting the narrative to suit post-independence domestic impediments. (...) More importantly, Bimal Roy gives empathy to a character that is fundamentally unlikeable. Devdas is a deeply flawed, tragic character - he is an antihero, a coward. The subtle performance given by Dilip Kumar emphasises this and humanises Devdas, delivering a realistic portrayal of a man drowning his grief in alcoholism. (...) The lifelong attachment Devdas and Paro have with each other is richly grounded in Bimal Roy’s adaptation of the novel. Roy’s version is the closest adaptation to the source material, using simple camera techniques to convey the complexities of love, passion, and grief. The cinematography is simple, using shadows and minimal lighting to highlight the doomed passion between the three characters. Through simple camera techniques, Roy manages to retain the essence of the story in the simplest of forms and upholds the Bengali culture and societal pressures enforced in the novel.

Devdas (2002) Sanjay Leela Bhansali (...)

Devdas (...) became the highest grossing Bollywood film of 2002. In an interview with Times of India, Bhansali stated that he wanted his version to be “bigger, better and more spectacular than any classical movie made in Indian cinema.” The film was the most expensive film made in India at the time. The screenplay was written by the director himself and Prakash Ranjit Kapadia. The cast consists of Bollywood superstars, Shah Rukh Khan (Devdas), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Parvati/Paro) and Madhuri Dixit (Chandramukhi). Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hindi reworking of Chattopadhyay’s novel is epic and grandiose, incorporating lavish set designs, costumes, and breath-taking dance sequences. 

Adaptation (...)

Bhansali indulges the viewer with dreamy, sensual scenes between Paro and Devdas. The lighting accentuates both of their figures, glowing with passion and love. (...) Shah Rukh Khan’s portrayal of Devdas treads a thin line of being an angry man and a coward, though, he is nonchalant and retains an element of defiance. (...) In post-modern fashion, Bhansali communicates his characters’ feelings through intricate choreography and song. (...) Despite Chandramukhi’s fondness for Devdas, she is independent, mature, and sophisticated. She does not give-up her profession for him, rather she takes pride in it. (...) Bhansali gives more agency to his female characters, bringing them together and bounding them in the space of female desire and devotion. (...) Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s adaptation of Devdas is a glamourous, mythical affair. He aims for the sublime, attempting to capture emotions through song and dance. The film is a feast for the eyes and Bhansali uses the crux of the story to master his visual style and craft, but the compassion and the simplicity of the original text is often lost in the melodrama and several subplots. 

Dev. D (2009) Anurag Kashyap (...)

Dev. D is a modern adaptation of Devdas that completely steers away from the previous adaptations that were set in the 1900s and places the characters in contemporary India. The adaptation explores the difficulty of modern youth, westernisation, metropolitan lifestyles and urban consumption. The film stars Abhay Deol (Dev/Devdas) and introduces audiences to Mahie Gill (Parminder/Paro) and Kalki Koechlin (Leni/Chanda/Chrandramukhi). (...)

Adaptation

Anurag Kashyap’s version of the Devdas story is divided into four parts: ‘Childhood’, ‘Paro’, ‘Chanda’ and ‘Dev’. The chapters allow for broader interpretations of the three main characters, fleshing them out and giving them all a developed narrative arc. (...) Paro (...) [is] an independent, modern woman in India. (...) Paro is shown to be something of a femme fatale in the eyes of Dev. He returns to Punjab with a narcissistic attitude and a sense of entitlement over Paro. When he overhears someone talking about Paro’s sexual activity, his masculine ego is bruised and rejects Paro’s sexual advances towards him, calling her a ‘slut’. Kashyap overtly points out the double standards of being sexually liberated as a woman versus a man. Consequently, Dev’s loss of Paro is due to his own insecurities as opposed to societal class structures that bounded the character of Devdas before. Kashyap offers a refreshing interpretation of Chandramukhi’s character, providing a backstory of how she becomes Chanda. (...) The final chapter focuses on the angst and existentialism of Devdas from the original text, though Kashyap demonstrates this in a dark and experimental manner. (...) Kashyap uses rotating shots and a blue hue to highlight Dev’s intoxicated state. Dev tries to spy on Paro from afar, further emphasising his ego and sense of masculine superiority. He wants to see Paro unhappy in her marriage to satisfy his ego. Paro meets Dev at the hostel and is disgusted by the way he is living. She states that she made the right decision getting married as Dev does not truly love her. Dev liked the idealised version of Paro rather than her true self. (...) Kashyap gives Dev a redemptive ending where he accepts his mistakes and moves on with his life. (...) The ending is more realist and suits the younger audience Kashyap is catering to. Overall, Dev. D is an ambitious reworking of the Devdas tale, placing the world and the characters in a contemporary setting. Kashyap reflects on modern-day anxieties and equality between men and women in India. He develops the characters of Paro and Chanda, allowing them agency. His adaptation is (...) using classic literature to re-evaluate and mock the archetypal characters in the novel and previous adaptations as well as catering to a younger audience.

To conclude, Devdas is a tale well-known within Indian cinema that has been remade and recreated into different styles and aesthetics. Bimal Roy’s 1955 black and white adaptation brings the individual tragedy of each main character to the foreground, remaining faithful to Chattopadhyay’s original text. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 version brought glamour and melodrama to Indian and western audiences, while Anurag Kashyap offers a new perspective on the themes of Devdas, placing its characters in contemporary India and exploring patriarchy, sexuality, and individuality'.

Vedi anche Welcome to Bollywood: Critica internazionale e Nazionalismo. Il testo raccoglie i link a tutti gli articoli della serie.